


Reaching out

by 133112



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/133112/pseuds/133112
Summary: What if Ginny had reached out to Harry in his time of trouble?  What would happen next?
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [u/FavChanger](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=u%2FFavChanger).



Ginny looked across the room, and she saw him sitting there. He just looked so sad, so dejected. His head was in his hands, and he clearly could not focus on the History of Magic book in his lap. All day, it was clear that those green eyes had been carrying pain, and fear. His best friend had left him, his other best friend was refusing to take sides, wanting this all to blow over soon. She couldn’t believe it. He, the strong young man, who killed a basilisk second year, was kind to everyone who wasn’t being a knobhead to him, who saved her, then gave her his shoulder to cry on, he, Harry Potter, was broken. Truly, utterly broken. She decided she had to approach him. 

“Hi,” she shyly said. She saw him turn his head. Those beautiful emerald green eyes were bloodshot, clearly from excessive crying.

“I suppose you just want to tease me too, huh?” he asked her, as if he was asking a surefire yes question. It broke her heart to see him this way.

“No!” she cried, aghast. She straightened herself out. “Harry, I believe you. It sure looked like you didn’t want to be in this.”

“You do?” he asked, with hunger and hope in his eyes, as if he hadn’t heard those words at all today. Then she realized it. He probably hadn’t.

She motioned for him to scoot over in the armchair, and tightly squeezed in. It was a close fit, but she was small, and Harry had always been skinny. It felt comforting, with the fabric on three sides, and Harry on another.

“Real rough day, huh?” she inquired sympathetically. He nodded lightly. “Would you feel at all like talking about it?” Harry whispered out a soft “No.” Ginny nodded, and snuggled up to him, her head on his shoulder. He opened himself up, and stroked her hair. Ginny felt odd about it. She had come over here to comfort him, and it seemed more like he was comforting her. However, he was concentrating on History of Magic again, so it had to be calming him down somehow. She heard him sigh contently, and all seemed normal for a second or two. 

“Oi, Potter, what are you playing at with my sister?” a loud voice sounded out from behind. The warm, soft skin next to her disappeared quickly, and a bolt of black, cream, and blue shot out the door, which she could only assume was Harry, as he was wearing blue pants and a black shirt. She got up to see Ron laughing over with Dean and Seamus, most of the jokes they were making being at Harry’s expense. She ran out the door after Harry, which no one but Hermione seemed to notice. She turned down the hallways, going as quickly as she could, only barely keeping the blur in sight.  _ “Honestly, the nerve of him to do that!” _ she thought. She rounded another corner, and saw Harry duck into an empty classroom. She gave it no thought, and quickly followed him in. He was facing out the window. 

“H-harry?” she asked in a nervous tone. He whipped around, and his instincts took over.

“Expelliarmus!” he roared, the force blowing Ginny back. “Oh, Gin, I-” he said in a guiltridden voice once he saw who it was.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” she told him, as he extended a hand to help her up. She took it, and he pulled her up and into his arms, back against his chest. She could feel his heart beating.  _ “Okay, Ginny, don’t blow this.” _ she thought to herself. Harry, for his part, inhaled her flowery scent, lost in it, it putting him in a daze. Ginny, of course, noticed how long he had held her in his arms by this point, and could just see the glazed expression on his face. 

“I’m so sorry.” he told her. “I shouldn’t ha-”

Ginny giggled. “Shut up and don’t ruin the moment.” Harry seemed to realise how he was holding her at this moment. He was not acting like a friend, but as something beyond that. 

“I really shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry.” he said, as he let go and absentmindedly backed away.

“Done what?” the fiery girl replied, deciding this an apt opportunity to tease him. She flipped her hair behind her, and advanced towards him. 

“Held you like that. Or, for that matter, snuggled with you earlier.” he said apologetically. Ginny was raging. Her git of a brother had driven all her progress far back with Harry. 

“I didn’t mind.” she retorted. “In fact, I think you should do it again.” She felt confident. She was in charge here, no Ron to ruin things. He reluctantly gathered her in his arms, and he knew right then and there she had her hooks in him. 

“Don’t you like it?” she whispered, and then kissed him with all her courage. He kissed back, and his hands went on her head and her back, and the latter went farther down as it became a full-on snog, and farther, and farther, and farther, until it was on her rear. Harry Potter was touching her! Ginny felt exhilerated, but then he pulled back. 

“We can’t do this!” he hissed at her. Ginny felt right then as if she might cry.

“Why not?” she half whimpered, half yelled at him. 

“Just-just not right now, okay?” he seemed to plead with her. “Maybe once this tournament is over, but-just-please-no.” She relaxed, seeing he was as angered by this as she. 

“Okay, but friends?” she replied. At least then she could keep others away.

“Of course, why wouldn’t we be?” he asked her, their expressions both softened by now. 

“Good. Now, what are you going to do for the first task?” she asked him. “You’ll need to practice.”

“I don’t know what we do for it. Will you help me train?” he inquired.

“Sure, Harry. How about tomorrow at 4, in here?” 

“I’ll see you then.” he told her, then surprised her by hugging her tight again. “Thanks for being my friend.” 

“You’re welcome.” she breathed out. Being friends with Harry was going to be hard if he kept doing this. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny immediately went to Hermione the next day, and tossed the book she was reading out of her hands. While the older girl was getting over the shock of this event, Ginny sat down across from her, falling back into the chair.

“Hermione, I really need your help!” she pouted. Hermione’s face softened, knowing that Ginny was one who almost never got this stressed.

“What happened?” Hermione asked her, leaning forward.

“I kissed Harry, and he kissed me back, but then he said we had to stay friends!” she said with a mix of anxiety, anger, and sadness. 

“He kissed you back?” Hermione rhetorically asked. “Wow, that’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

“It would be, but he’s being a prat about it!” 

“Now Ginny, you know that isn’t true.”

“Okay, maybe it isn’t, but still, I need your help!” she admitted, now pacing back and forth.

“Hmm, you wouldn’t object to maybe breaking some rules, would you?” Hermione inquired curiously. 

“What did you have in mind?” the small girl asked, a smile on her face.

“Well, we know Harry seems to like you, right?” Hermione said with a grin.

“Yes, and?”

“You’re going to snog the life out of him.” Hermione ordered, her grin growing.

“I’m sorry?” Ginny asked, confounded by what was happening.

“Here’s the plan. If you get Harry enough, he’ll crack, and realise he wants you now, not in a year. We’ll start right now. Have you heard of the Marauder’s Map?”

“No.” 

“Basically, it’s a map that shows where everyone in the castle is at all times. Combined with Harry’s Invisibility Cloak, catching him alone, wearing a shorter skirt, and unbuttoning those first two buttons there, I think you can get Harry to completely erase all thoughts of you as a little sister.” Hermione gave Ginny an evil grin, then laughed. Ginny was amused to see Hermione this evil.

“Okay, when will I do this?” Ginny asked, liking this plan.

“Well, that depends. How long do you think it will take you to change?” Hermione asked as they ran up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory.

“In a minute or two, but you need the map and cloak!” Ginny ordered Hermione.

“Don’t worry, I have it. Harry let me use it earlier today to get into the restricted section.” she said, blushing.

“Hermione Granger, breaking the rules left and right, are we?” Ginny teased her. 

“Oh, shut up!” 

Harry was coming back from the black lake, thinking intensely about Ginny. He turned the corner, and scratched the top of his head. Suddenly, he was pulled into a broom closet. He looked in front of himself, to see Ginny Weasley. Except, it wasn’t her. This girl was Ginny Weasley, but with curves, a very matured Ginny Weasley, whose shirt he could currently see down. “ _ Griphook, Griphook, Griphook” _ he thought, but it was no use. The girl kept advancing towards him, a predatory look in her eyes, as she took one step, then another, then another, and then she jumped on him, knocking his back into the wall. He put his arms around her, holding her behind as he leaned in to kiss her. Ginny could see through the disturbed dust softly floating down that Harry’s eyes held an emerald fire as he kissed her. She let him, and kissed back, parting her lips, as she and Harry started a full-on snog. She felt so small, so vulnerable, like clay fresh from the river’s banks in his hands. Ginny knew if Harry wanted to shag her now, she would probably let him. However, she also knew he was much too honourable and noble to do that with her being 13. The small girl could still feel his right hand on her arse, but the left was now exploring her mane of shiny, brilliant, lust-coloured hair that he was so fascinated with. Ginny could also feel another part of his anatomy rubbing against her, and was flattered to know she got that reaction from him. He moved his left hand up the back of her shirt, but then stopped. He quickly put her down, and backed into the wall, and slid to the ground, looking at her with not hunger, not passion, but fear. She saw this, and was shocked. Harry had been at least feeling ten times as vulnerable as she had been, if not more. Ginny sat down next to him, realising that while she had technically sexually assaulted him, she had done much worse. She had emotionally assaulted him, and that shamed her. 

“I’m sorry for doing that.” she whispered into his ear. “I didn’t mean to-”

“Gin, it’s fine.” Harry told her, looking everywhere but her eyes. 

“No, Harry, it isn’t!” she cried, jumping onto his lap and holding his head in position so he was looking at her. “First, I’m sorry, but second, why can’t we kiss?” She gave him a pleading, demoralizing look with her big chocolate eyes.

“Your brothers will-”

“I don’t give a shit what my brothers will do. If they mess with this, I’ll bat-bogey hex the entire lot. That includes you, if you keep avoiding me and refusing to tell me why we can’t be together, and it better be good.” she ordered him.

“Um, uh, well, you see-” he stammered out.

“See! No good reason! Now, Potter, I swear to god, you are going to snog my brains out and then we’ll go and cuddle in the common room, oka-” she said, failing to finish the sentence as he started to passionately make out with her. He seemed much more confident this time, pinning her against the ground before laying kisses all over her neck as his new girlfriend moaned. She had wanted Harry for twelve years, and now she had him, and it felt good. Merlin, it felt amazing, the feeling of being helpless and small while Harry lavished her, trying to make her feel as good as he could. Yes, he was still seeming to be quite hesitant to explore her body, but that was fine with Ginny. She was going to remember this moment forever, and she wasn’t going to feel that it was ruined by Harry being hesitant.


	3. Chapter 3

As Ginny woke up the next day, she remembered the events of the previous one, and put on a huge grin. She was now dating Harry Potter! As she got up and got dressed, she went down to the common room to find Hermione. 

“Hermione!” she whispered excitedly, only keeping her voice low to avoid Ron hearing her. “Guess who kissed me yesterday?” 

Hermione put her book down, turning to face Ginny. “You’re kidding!” she replied, a grin on her face. 

“No, I’m not. I got to snog Harry Potter!” she told the older girl, whose eyes were bulging. 

“How was it?” Hermione asked. 

“It was amazing, he’s definitely a natural.” Ginny proudly boasted. Hermione let out an uncharacterisitic giggle, and Ron immediately turned his head towards the girls, looking away after a few seconds.

“Do you think he liked it?” Hermione asked her. 

“I don’t know. Could you find that out, and see if he regrets it or not?” Ginny requested. 

“Sure, but why would he regret it?”

“Well,” Ginny started with her expression changing, “I kind of jumped him.”

“Oh, well, I’d bet he enjoyed it anyway, but I’ll ask him.” 

“Thanks, I owe you one.” Ginny said, sighing. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Hermione replied, with a grin growing on her face.

Ginny went on her way, going to the Great Hall. She did feel a little guilty about jumping Harry and pretty much forcing him to snog her, but at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. As she went to each class, it was with a bounce in her step. As she did her homework in the library, she was much more efficient, as she knew that until this work was done, she could not do much with Harry. After she finished, she started walking towards the common room. Suddenly, she was pulled aside, with a hand over her mouth. It happened so fast that she didn’t eve see anything. The hand was released as she heard a door close, and Ginny looked up, frightened, to see Harry staring back at her.

“I heard you were feeling bad about yesterday.” he remarked casually, as if he hadn’t just made her fear for her life.

_ “Oh no, he’s going to change his decision with me for doing that.” _ Ginny thought to herself. “Yes, I’m very sor-” She couldn’t finish her sentence as Harry decided to kiss the life out of her right there and then. 

He broke away about a minute later, when she had been thoroughly dazed. “I thought I might reassure you that there was nothing to regret.” he told her with a suggestive grin, in a very husky voice that made Ginny’s knees go weak.

“You did?” Ginny said, after shaking herself out of the blissful stupor. “Really, so you aren’t going to break up with me?” she asked him tentatively.

“What?” Harry said, clearly very confused. “No of course not, I would never! I enjoyed it, so why be angry?” he asked her, still having the appearance of having been hit on the head with a sledgehammer. 

“Because I forced you to kiss me?” Ginny replied. Harry laughed out loud at this statement, which did insult Ginny a little bit.

“Gin, if you expect me to be able to stand up to your brothers, than surely you think I can stand up to girls kissing me!” he said with a chuckle, and Ginny blushed when she realised that she had been a little dim-witted about this fact. “Plus,” Harry added with grin plastered onto his face, “Why would I say no to the prettiest girl in the entire school kissing me?” 

Ginny blushed. “Oh, shut up.” she mumbled, playfully giving him a swat, which he ducked under.

“Make me.” Harry cheekily replied. Ginny responded to this by giving him a kiss, pulling his head down to hers. Maybe he objected to having his head yanked in a downwards fashion, maybe the angle was wrong, or maybe he just wanted to have fun, but Harry countered this action by grabbing Ginny around her waist, placing one hand on her bum, and holding her body in the air so their heads were on the same level. The petite girl replied by wrapping her legs around his stomach, and turning the kiss into a full-on snog, this time feeling pleased and secure in the knowledge that she wasn’t pressuring the Boy-Who-Lived at all, before crossing that thought out and replacing it with not having pressured Harry at all. However, all thoughts that either of them were having skidded to a halt, as they got lost in each other.

When they came out, some period of time later, possibly 30 minutes, maybe 45, or even likely more than an hour, they arrived in the common room to see Hermione trying to comfort an angry Ron, who was ranting on about “That bloody tosser!”, throwing in comments such as “I’ll kill the idiot!” and “He would rather be in Azkaban once I’m done with him!”. Harry and Ginny assumed he was talking about Malfoy, and sat down across from Hermione. 

“Slugulus Erecto!” Ron shouted, drawing his wand and pointing it at Harry. However, the raven-haired boy’s superior reflexes won out.

“Protego!” Harry shouted, and a quite large shield appeared between him and Ron. The entire common room’s heads turned to Ron, astonished he would attack Harry. Hermione looked at him with shock and discomfort, but it was Ginny’s look that one would notice. It was one of pure rage, maybe a little disgust, but at least 99% rage. She got up, her lust-coloured hair brushing against Harry’s face, and looked her brother in the eyes. He just stared back, as if he was challenging her to do something. Ginny spun, sat down in her boyfriend’s lap, and then kissed the life of him, and triumphantly looked back at her brother. He raised his wand again, but before he even heard her say the words, bats started flying out of his nose and attacking him, bloodying and bruising his face. 


	4. Chapter 4

As Harry saw his friend’s face erupt with bloody and mucous covered bats, he immediately felt guilty. Hadn’t he betrayed his best friend since first year’s wishes? If he had respected Ron, this current mess wouldn’t have happened. As the common room was distracted by Ron being helped out with his nose, he slipped out and went to his favourite empty classroom, hoping Ginny wouldn’t look for him. After all, she had to be thinking the same things, right? He stood there moping for a while, he really had no idea how long it was, when he saw that familiar red colour and those bright, cheerful brown eyes peer in at him. As she slowly and cautiously walked in it worried Harry greatly, although he had already been quite worried. 

“Harry?” she asked in that soft, innocent, safe voice he liked to hear so much. “Why did you run out of the common room?” 

Harry looked up at her. “Was it that noticeable?” he asked in a shamed tone.

She stepped forward, slowly approaching him. “To me it was.” 

“How’s Ron doing?” Harry asked her nervously. 

“I don’t really care.” Ginny declared, now only inches away from him. “He always is a prat around us.” 

Harry got a devilish grin on his face. “Can we practice a little for the first task now?” 

Ginny looked perplexed. “Uh, yeah, sure.” 

“Great, just stand over there.” he asked motioning towards the opposite end of the room. 

“And?” she questioningly replied. 

“Accio Ginny!” Harry cried, and she flew right into his arms, with a dazed look and mischievous grin on her face. 

“Harry James Potter! That was a very dangerous thing you just did!” Ginny scolded him, both of them unaware of the beetle on the table next to them. 

“I know.” Harry said in a confident, nothing will ever go wrong voice that his father had used so many times before. 

“I should punish you for that, you know.” she told Harry playfully, smiling as she looked him in the eyes. Harry leaned closer.

“So what’s my punishment, Miss Weasley?” Harry asked her, also just playing around and teasing her.

“I don’t know, maybe a snog would teach you?” Ginny “threatened” him.

“No, anything but that!” Harry mocked, as they both leaned in and started snogging like the world was ending. The green beetle on the table was convinced they were about to have sex they were being so passionate. 

“What a story that would be!” Skeeter thought to herself. “I can just imagine the headline already, ‘Harry Potter: The Playboy?’” she thought, dreaming of all the fame and money from a story such as that. Luckily for her, the Daily Prophet provided shrinkable cameras, allowing her the ability to take photos at her small size. Just as the passion was at the top, she captured one for the ages. She then quickly buzzed out to avoid being seen by the two young teens.

As the couple met in the Gryffindor common room to exchange quick kisses and prepare to go down together for breakfast, they had no idea what was about to happen to them. As they were walking down the stairs, Fred and George pulled them aside and dragged them to the kitchens. 

“You prat-” Ginny started, stepping toward her brothers. However, her complaints were silenced by a silencing charm. 

“You’ll be eating here-” Fred told the two.

“For the time being, seeing as-”

“You got yourselves-”

“A picture in the prophet-”

“Kissing.” the twins finished together. Harry and Ginny blushed, and hung their mouths open in shock. The pair was confused and enraged at how they could have gotten in the Prophet. 

“How-” Ginny paused, hiding behind Harry out of shame, resting her head in his neck. “How bad is it?” 

Fred and George exchanged worried looks, before collectively sighing and handing them the article. 

Harry Potter: Playboy?  
It has recently been discovered that Harry Potter has a girlfriend, ending hopes for young witches all over the world of being the first to be with him. As you can see above, he seems to be very passionate with Ginevra Weasley, 13, leading many to worry about the boy. According to a close friend of Mr. Potter, Ms. Daphne Greengrass, he may be the victim of a love potion. “We all know that Harry would never take an interest in someone as mean-spirited and ugly as that, so she must be slipping something into his drink. Of course, it is possible that the little slag is just spreading her legs for him, she’s the type of girl who would get passed around the common room. Although, knowing her, he probably doesn’t even want to touch her, much less **** her.” This leads many to wonder where Ginevra’s heart lays, with Harry Potter or his vault. We will be attempting to follow-up on this story later, and any information would be appreciated.

Harry looked as if he was about to explode in rage, but then he saw his sobbing girlfriend. Apologetically looking at the twins, he picked Ginny up bridal style, as her knees were buckling, and used the cloak to make an escape to a secret passage that he was absolutely positive only he had knowledge of, and took to reassuring his girlfriend. 

“Harry?” Ginny asked when she was done crying. 

“Yes, Gin?” he replied in a calm, soothing voice, attempting to make her feel as comfortable as possible. The boy was pleased when his partner recognised his efforts with a quick, small, smile that shine brightly for a second. She crawled over in front of him, and laid down. 

Her face looked worried, and broken. “Do you want me to spread my legs for you?” she inquired.

Harry was angry. His girlfriend was 13, and the press was making her think that to be worthy of his affection and admiration she had to let him have his way with her? They had the audacity to call her a slut, a common whore? He looked as if he was about to punch someone. Ginny let out a squeal of fear, and he realised that she probably thought he was about to punch her. 

“No, Gin, you don’t have to. Don’t worry about what they say, they’re all idiots. All that matters is I like you, and you like me.” She smiled, snuggling into his side, as he pondered ways to get back at the Prophet for their slanderous words.


	5. Chapter 5

The aftermath of the Prophet article was enraging for Harry and Ginny. For Harry, an already trying time became more difficult, as the Slytherins started to throw copies of that Prophet at him as he walked through the halls. He also was constantly mailed love potion antidotes by witches from all over the country, and even a few from across the channel in France! However, Ginny most definitely got the brunt of it. While she walked around the school, students who were against Harry associated her with him, and therefore started to harass her. Many openly leered at her and made cat-calls in the halls in her direction. Every day, owls were delivered to her telling her how horrible she was, and soon she wouldn’t even go to the Owlery to pickup mail from her parents, instead instructing Harry to go for her. The couple was constantly miserable, and spent almost all their time in their training room, which McGonagall had given them a powerful magical lock for, as they were unable to do their homework or for Harry’s case, train, anywhere else. As they sat on a conjured couch in their training room one day, with Harry comforting a sobbing Ginny, he kept trying to think of ways to solve their problem.

“Gin, I’m going to go get Fred and George. I think they can help us. Will you be okay with me going for a while?” Ginny seemed reluctant, but nodded. Harry understood her reasons for reluctance. To anyone else, leaving someone for 5 minutes would seem like nothing, but for this pair, it was taking away from the time they spent comforting each other and building up their walls as to face the world. Harry walked quickly into the common room, ignoring the majority of his house’s dirty looks at him as he walked in. As he tapped Fred and George on the shoulder, they understood that he needed to talk with them, and accompanied him back to the training room.

“Okay, guys, Gin and I need you to help us get revenge on Skeeter. What can you do for us?” Harry asked them, while Ginny gave the twins her best sad puppy look. George and Fred looked at the two sympathetically. 

“While me and Fred are master prankers,” George began.

“How do we prank someone who isn’t near us at all?” his double finished. Harry smiled.

“I can get near her. I heard that she is going to interview all the champions, so I’ll be able to put your stuff into action then. If you need any ingredients for potions or something, I’ll help you buy them or get them, you just need to get a good prank idea.” the raven-haired boy explained. The twins nodded to signal that they were on board with the idea, and left the room. Harry and Ginny went back to snuggling and talking on the couch.

“Harry,” Ginny said as she molded herself to his side, “Are you sure we should be doing this?”

“What, getting back at Skeeter? Of course we should be!” he answered.

“But, Harry, you could get in pretty big trouble for this, and we don’t need more trouble.” the small girl fretted. Harry laughed, and pulled her closer.

“Gin, she’s made our lives hell. There can’t be much worse than this.” he replied morosely with his comments on their new reality. Ginny nodded, agreeing with this sentiment. Soon, they were each forced to go to their dormitories, and with a kiss, reluctantly parted ways.

The next day, after enduring more torturous classes, they met with Fred and George. 

“Do you have a plan?” Harry asked demandingly of the twins.

“Don’t fret, Ickle Harrikins,” 

“Yeah,” George took from Fred, “We are here to swoop in and save the day.” 

“So what are you going to do?” Ginny asked calmly. The twins replied with an evil grin. 

“Alright, so..”

Soon, Harry was forced to be called in for something called the “Weighing of The Wands”. While attempting not to look too happy as he left the potions classroom, he took his wand and a vial out of his robe pockets. After his wand was weighed, he took it and quickly cast a spell on Rita’s quill as soon as he saw it.

“ _ Scrimeas cogitat! _ ” he muttered, and approached her with a fake smile. 

“Ah, Harry!” she exclaimed, flashing him a fake smile of her own. “Let’s talk, alright?” He nodded and walked towards the door he had seen Fleur come out of. As they entered, he noticed the musky, mildewy, gag-inducing scent of a broom closet. It was coated in dust, and seemed not to have been cleaned in quite a while. As Rita pulled out a quill, his insides bubbled with excitement, waiting for his revenge.

“So, Harry, I’ve heard you have had a relationship with Miss Weasley. How did that come to be?” As Harry answered, Rita’s quill started to write. Rita saw ‘Mr. Potter, or for those like myself who know him well, Harry, admits the Weasley family has more than pushed this so-called ‘relationship’ onto the two children.’ However, to anyone else, it read ‘I must apologize for my lies about Ginevra Weasley. My source was deliberately giving me wrong information, and their actions, as well of the actions of myself and many Hogwarts Slytherin fourth-years have been deplorable, and I implore my readers to tell them off for their terrorizing of our saviour.” As the interview continued on and on, both of them got wicked smiles of their own, with Rita Skeeter perplexed at Harry’s. Finally, as they parted ways, Harry dropped a vial at her feet, and quickly told her thank you to mute the noise. As he left the room of the champions, he heard Fleur cry out when the reporter approached Cedric.

“Quelle horreure! Rita, ‘at ‘as ‘appened to you! ‘Ou smeel ‘orrible!” the frenchwoman cried out indignantly. Harry snickered and scurried back to his dormitory, as Potions was done by now and he had a free period. 


	6. Chapter 6

As Harry got back to his bed in the Gryffindor 4th year dorms, he was pleased to find Ginny lying chest down on his bed, reading a book propped up on his pillow, with the flames that covered the back of her head making a sort of curtain around her face. With a grin on his face, Harry closed the curtains and pinched her behind, causing her to whip around in shock. Harry laid down next to her, attempting to tame his curly mess of hair with a brush of his hand. Ginny eventually regained the ability to talk. 

“What was that for?” the small, fiery-tempered redhead asked, closing her book. Harry grinned back at her, half-diffusing the blaze of anger he knew his paramour could easily build up.

“I’m a teenage boy, I can’t help it!” Harry pleaded, rubbing Ginny’s back, eliciting a soft purr from her.  _ That girl must be part-kneazle _ , Harry swore. She stretched like a kneazle, purred like one, had hair the color of and silky as a kneazle’s fur, had the attitude of one, and was about the size of a very large one. A look from Ginny reminded him to keep talking if he did not wish to have large flying objects rapidly form inside and roughly exit his nasal cavity. “Besides,” he said with a cocky smirk, repeating his previous action, and then rolling on top of her, pinning her wrists above her head, “How can I help it when it’s such a nice bum?” She blushed all over at this, making Harry’s smirk grow wider, as he leaned in, his breath tickling her ear. “I can only just wait until I get to unwrap the lovely present it is.” Her blush grew, if that was even possible.

“Maybe if you’re good boy you will get to unwrap it sometime soon.” Ginny told him in a squeaking voice, seeming like the girl she was in first year again. After that, Harry moved his lips to hers, and neither talked for quite a while.

  
  


After a good thirty or thirty-five minutes spent lost in each other, Harry and Ginny sat back up, resting against his headboard. 

“So,” Ginny asked, picking her book back up, “Is the apology phase done?” Harry reached over with his arm and pulled her into him, causing a loud squeal from the small girl at the sudden movement.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, playing with locks of valiantly red hair. “I also got her with the stinking solution.” Ginny sighed in relaxation and leaned into him, causing him to chuckle.

“What?” the red-head asked crossly, not understanding why he was laughing. 

“Oh, I was just thinking how you’re like a kneazle.” Harry said to her, continuing to play around with her hair. Ginny sat up.

“I am not like a kneazle!” she practically yelled, making Harry jump. 

“It’s not a bad thing!” he hurriedly explained. “It’s just that you stretch like a cat a lot and you purr occasionally when I rub your back or when you stretch, plus your hair is really silky.” He gave his girlfriend a smile, hoping she kept her wand in her pocket. 

“You’re lucky I have a use for you-” Ginny began, quickly interrupted. 

“Have a use for me? What am I, an old broom?” Harry quizzically asked. Ginny paid no attention whatsoever and continued.

“-Or else I’d have hexed you immediately.” She finished off by giving Harry a kiss and a mock frown. 

Harry decided to play along. “Oh, if I’m in danger of being hexed, I guess I better get going.” As he said this, he took his inside hand out of Ginny’s and put it on the bed to make as to roll off the bed. 

“No, don’t go! I was joking!” Ginny cried out to him. Harry gave her a grin back.

“Gin, do you really think that I’m that fragile? I’m only playing with you, although it’s nice to know how much you need me, Mrs. Has-a-use-for-me.” He rolled back next to Ginny, running his fingers down her hair and slipping them into hers.

  
  


As Harry’s free period began to expire, he gave Ginny a kiss, and quickly got up to go to Herbology. He and Neville had been paired together for the first semester, something that gave him mixed emotions, as Neville was someone who had not expressed anger towards Ginny and he, but he also was really into Herbology, resulting in attempts at conversations becoming impromptu Herbology quizzes. However, this did have an upside, as his grades in the subject started to rival Hermione’s, thanks to having the best in the school teach him avidly. 

“So, Neville,” Harry asked cautiously one class while potting some Wiggentree saplings and being informed by Neville about the various changes in spell-casting in Ireland that were caused by Moly growing in bunches on the emerald isle, “Why do you like herbology so much?” As he saw his friend’s face, he quickly made an addendum. “Not that herbology isn’t great, but you really seem to love it.” At this Neville seemed to calm down, and incoherently mumbled something, looking at his shoes. 

“Come on, Neville, you can tell me, I won’t tell anyone or make fun of you.” Harry reassured him, giving him a pat on the shoulder as he finished potting his third sapling. 

“M-m-my parents were tortured into insanity by death eaters a week after you defeated him,” Neville said, looking up at him hesitantly. Harry noted with great pride in Neville that instead of saying “You-Know-Who”, Neville always used “Him”. “My m-m-mum really liked herbology and magical fauna, and she had a big garden out in the back. Since I was three, I’ve gone out and taken care of it for her. It’s silly, isn’t it?” the boy finished, with a sad, self-mocking chuckle. Harry shook his head.

“No, it’s not. If I had something of my parents’, I’d be taking care of it as well.” Harry told Neville, causing his face to brighten. 

“Thanks, Harry, it’s nice to be able to talk about this, with, well, you know, someone who…” Harry nodded as Neville trailed off. He knew that both of them knew how hard it was to talk about this with most people, who just couldn’t understand how deeply it hurt. The boys both resumed potting plants. 

  
  


Later the next day, Hagrid pulled Harry aside in Care of Magical Creatures to talk with him.

“Hi, Hagrid, what is it?” Harry asked cheerfully. Hagrid smiled at him.

“Listen, ‘Arry, afteh curfew tonigh, come down ‘ere, an’ bring yer cloak, alrigh’? I got somethin’ to show ya.” Harry nodded confusedly, and Hagrid just gave him a pat on the back, sending him on his way. As it was his last class of the very slow days he endured, he went up to the training room, where he found Ginny sitting on the desk, playing around with her wand. When she saw him, she perked up, going over to him and jumping on Harry to kiss him, taking him by surprise. 

“Not that I’m complaining,” Harry started, putting Ginny down causing her to give him a pout, “But why the forwardness?” Ginny gave him a smile, as she lead him to the couch.

“Well, you’re getting too tall, so I have to climb you to kiss you.” she said, while giving Harry a coquettish smile. 

“I’m not that tall!” Harry protested, causing Ginny to fall into a fit of giggles. 

“Harry,” she said, placing her hand on his arm to steady herself, “Firstly, being tall isn’t a bad thing. In fact,” she told him, putting her mouth right to his ear, “I think it’s attractive.” Harry shivered from the sensations her breath was causing, and Ginny giggled, very aware of what she had done to him. She continued on. “Secondly, it’s not just that you’re tall, it’s also that I’m really short. I mean, you’re what, one-hundred and eighty centimetres? I’d say I’m probably one-hundred and twenty-five. That’s a little over half a metre, in difference.” Harry frowned at hearing her tone. He knew from talking with each other about almost everything in the world that Ginny thought that her being short was embarrassing and not very attractive. He put an arm around Ginny and gave her a smile, reminding her as he had then that he thought different. 

“So,” Ginny began, getting up from the couch, “Ready to continue working on the freezing spell?” Harry shook his head, also getting up. 

“No, I’d like to keep my energy for later.” Harry said, pulling Ginny back down to the couch with him. 

“What do you need it for?” Ginny asked, frowning. Harry shrugged.

“Dunno. Hagrid just told me he wanted to show me something tonight, and knowing Hagrid-” Harry said to Ginny, pulling her into him.

“-You might need to run, quickly.” Ginny interrupted dryly, putting her wand on the table beside the couch. The pair just rested, doing homework as well, while they waited for dinner in the Great Hall.


	7. Chapter 7

After dinner, Harry gave Ginny a quick kiss and went to find Hagrid, with his cloak in hand. As soon as he reached the hut, he was quickly ushered inside and grinned at him.

“Yeh bettah get yer cloak on, ‘Arry.” Hagrid said in his thick West Country accent, that Harry could swear had a twinge of something else, something Irish or Scandinavian. Harry followed the directions diligently, and threw it on. 

“Hagrid, where are we going?” Harry asked as they hustled out the door.

“The Ferbidden Fores’.” Hagrid told him hurriedly as they entered the vast, deeply wooded area. As they trudged farther and farther through it, Harry heard a roar or two, but of very odd tones, and saw brief flashes of light in the distance. As the pair edged closer, Harry saw what it was.  _ Dragons.  _ He nearly fainted at the sight of them. He had seen a baby Norwegian Ridgeback before, but that was nothing compared to these goliaths. Each dragon had many men containing it, and they still only barely did it. And the noise. The noise! The group of four dragons raised an absolutely horrible din, that managed to be unpleasant and to be able to strike fear into the heart of men. As they finally reached wherever Hagrid was planning them to be, roughly 30 metres from the dragons, Harry was astounded to see Madame Maxime from Beauxbatons waiting there, focusing on the dragon keepers and their spells. As Hagrid arrived, she turned to him and gave him a smile. 

“Ah, ‘Agrid, ‘ow nice to see ‘ou!” she said to him with charm in her voice. Hagrid ran his hand through his hair nervously, and smiled sheepishly at her. Harry looked away and at the dragons, trying to keep the giants’ flirting far from his mind. One stood out to him by far. It was a great black creature, 50 feet tall, breathing fire much farther into the sky than the others, with eyes a yellow, but not a golden yellow, a sickly one, reminding Harry of vomit or pus. It had bronze horns, but they were much less like horns and far more akin to the spikes on the fearsome dragon’s tail, yet another weapon for its use. As Harry had quickly realized these were to be the first task, he shuddered, hoping they looked worse than they were. He moved his gaze to the next dragon, which was much less angered. In fact, it wasn’t even in a cage, just tethered down to the earth! There was a young looking man with an Irish accent speaking with it, and even seeming to play around with the dragon, which was much smaller, bright green, and while Harry had no doubt he didn’t want to fight it, with the Irishman’s dragon’s musical roar and shyly playful attitude on display, Harry knew that this would be the easiest dragon to defeat. He again turned his head to see a dragon spouting blue flame, which heated the air so much even Harry, standing now about 25 metres away could feel the heat. The dragon itself was silver-blue, and reminded Harry of Ravenclaw in colour. It was only a little larger than the green dragon, but was much more ferocious, and had snow white horns, along with scales that looked to be impenetrable. Finally, he looked towards the last. The last dragon was a violent red, with coppery and golden spikes around its face. It shot mushroom clouds of fire out of its nostrils, reminding Harry of pictures he had seen in textbooks of terrifying muggle bombs. It was the second largest, Harry decided, and while it was being very aggressive towards its keepers, it didn’t seem to mind the other dragons too much. The flames from its mouth were also mushroom shaped, but much larger. As Harry took it all in, he shook his head. None of these dragons looked like fun creatures to fight, and even if he could do it, he doubted it would be an experience he would come out of unharmed. Harry began walking back, only to see Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster, taking notes from a distance on the dragons. As he headed toward the castle, he suddenly wondered about Cedric. Based on the attitudes of Madame Maxime and Igor Karkaroff, he could only assume Fleur and Krum would know, and now he did as well, but who would tell Cedric? Dumbledore certainly wouldn’t, and Hagrid, while nice to everyone, was only doing this for Harry because it was Harry, and most likely hadn’t even thought of doing the same for Cedric. As he pondered this, Harry decided he would tell Cedric the time he saw him, after all, Cedric hadn’t been mean to him at all, he in fact seemed to believe Harry, and it was only fair Harry tell him. He finally got back to the common room, to see Ginny there, waiting for him. 

“What happened?” she asked Harry. He sat down next to her, eliciting a squeak as he pulled her in quickly for a kiss, and then recounting his tale of the four dragons. She listened with great interest, as it gave her nostalgia of Charlie telling her bedtime stories of dragons, where she was the princess being held by a dragon, and how The-Boy-Who-Lived and she would both slay the dragon, and get married, and live happily ever after. She blushed furiously about the fact she was now with The-Boy-Who-Lived, and that he was nothing like the stories. Harry saw this but didn’t ask about it. 

“So,” he finished, “Do you have any ideas to beat the dragon?” Ginny looked at him like he was insane. 

“Tomorrow can be the time for that,” she started. “Right now, I just want to get some sleep.” Harry smiled as Ginny stretched, then went to the stairs of the girls dormitory, and after looking back at him, went up them, and he repeated the same to the boy’s dormitory, hoping his dreams that night would not be about the first task.


End file.
